PANCHO MAGALONA-TITA DURAN: LOVE TEAM IN REEL AND REAL LIFE

Tita Duran (1928- 1990) was a popular pre-war child star and was dubbed the Shirley Temple of the Philippines. She joined the movies in 1936 when she was eight years old appearing in Awit ng mga Ulila (1936), Inang Mahal (1938), Tunay na Ina (1939), Pangarap and Sawing Gantinpala, both in 1940. After the Second World War, Tita now 18, very charming and a sweet young lady, made a movie comeback under Sampaguita Pictures. She starred with Carmen Rosales in Guerilyera in 1946 (in her first grown-up role) and appeared in many musical movies pairing her with some of Sampaguita’s finest actors, like Oscar Moreno, Fred Montilla and of course, Pancho Magalona.

Pancho Magalona (1922-1997), son of a Philippine senator and college graduate from Ateneo de Manila, entered the movie world in the late 40s. He was paired with Tita and their love team was a huge success. So well teamed were Pancho and Tita that eventually they really fell in love and got married for real.

Pancho co-starred in some Hollywood movies shot in the Philippines, such as Merrill’s Marauders (1962) with Jeff Chandler and Cavalry Command aka. Day of the Trumpet (1963) with John Agar. He won the Famas Best Actor Award in 1958 for Gerardo de Leon’s Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig and was best remembered for playing the character Simoun in the movie version of Jose Rizal’s novel El Filibusterismo, where he was nominated for that year’s Famas Best Actor.

Pancho and Tita have nine children, one of them is popular rapper Francis Magalona.

Always (kay Ganda Mo)/1949- Stars Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona, Tito Arevalo/ Directed by Eddie Romero

Huwag ka Nang Magtampo (1949)- Stars Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona, Teresita Martinez, Tito Arevalo, Chichay-Tolindoy/ Directed by Lorenzo Perez Tuells

Umaga na Neneng (1950)- Stars Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona with great supporting cast/ Directed by Octavio Silos

Kasintahan sa Pangarap (1951)- Stars Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona, Tolindoy, Aruray/ Directed by Enrique Moreno

Buhay Pilipino (1952)- Stars Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona, Rudy Francisco, Chichay & Tolindoy, Sylvia La Torre, Aruray/ Directed by Olive La Torre

Vod-A-Vil (1953)- Stars Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona, Katy de la Cruz, Rosa Mia, Dolphy, Rebecca Del Rio/ Directed by Olive La Torre

Sa Isang Sulyap Mo, Tita (1953)- Stars Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona, Aruray, Dolphy, Tony Cayado, Jose de Villa/ Directed by Armando Garces

Sa Isang Halik Mo, Pancho (1954)- Stars Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona, Bayani, Dolphy, Carding Cruz/ Directed by Armando Garces

Maria Went To Town (1954)- Stars Tita Duran, Pancho Magalona, Carlos Padilla, Jr., Lorna Mirasol/ Directed by Eddie Romero